lunes, 13 de junio de 2011

Health review


Justice Douglas E. McKeon, center, meeting with lawyers as part of an effort to resolve malpractice suits before they move to trial.
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Justice Douglas E. McKeon, center, meeting with lawyers as part of an effort to resolve malpractice suits before they move to trial.
A new approach to malpractice suits in New York is being seen as a way for states to curb liability expenses and health care costs.
THIS LIFE

‘You Look Great’ and Other Lies

A guide to what to say — and what not to say — to someone who’s sick.

Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer

Government scientists listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen and said styrene may cause cancer, but the main threat is to workers in manufacturing.

Rare Infection Strikes Victims of a Tornado in Missouri

Several people who were injured in the May 22 Joplin tornado have become sickened by an uncommon, deadly fungal infection, officials said.
Bean sprouts grow in a tube at Jonathan Sprouts in Rochester, Mass.

The Poster Plant of Health Food Can Pack Disease Risks

As a horrified Europe learned over the past month, sprouts are a high-risk food for carrying harmful bacteria like salmonella or the toxic forms of E. coli, according to experts.
Investigators on Monday examined a farm in Bienenbüttel, Germany, that is believed to be the source of contaminated sprouts.

Germany Says Bean Sprouts Likely E.Coli Source

Germany said the infections were caused by bean sprouts but acknowledged that questions remained.

Gilead, Maker of H.I.V. Drugs, Discloses a Subpoena

Gilead Sciences, the world’s largest maker of H.I.V. drugs, said it had received a subpoena for documents related to its manufacturing and quality and distribution practices.

Russians Adopt U.S. Tactics in Opposing Abortion

Backed by the Orthodox Church, the Russian anti-abortion movement is using its American counterpart as a model, even adopting the English-language term “pro-life” as its own.
RECIPES FOR HEALTH

Whole-Wheat and Walnut Breadsticks

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Walnut oil substitutes for olive oil in these nutty breadsticks.
Damian Lopez Alfonso, 34, in July is scheduled to race in Canada, the first event on his road to qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
Raymond McCrea Jones/The New York Times
Damian Lopez Alfonso, 34, in July is scheduled to race in Canada, the first event on his road to qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
A Cuban cyclist, severely disfigured in a childhood accident, longs to compete internationally. New York bikers have embraced his dream.
THE HEALTH CONSUMER

Some Heart Disease Screens May Be Unnecessary

There are many tests for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and some of them are costly and potentially risky.

Behind the Scenes, Plans for Insurance Exchange

While the governor has stated his opposition to a federally-mandated health insurance exchange, the Department of Insurance is busily making plans for one.

Sex Assaults Underreported, Inquiry Into V.A. Concludes

After a three-year investigation, the G.A.O. issued a report to the Veterans Affairs Committee revealing that more than half of all rape accusations were ignored.
For decades, farmers have fed chickens a drug that contains arsenic to promote their growth.

Pfizer Suspends Sales of Chicken Drug With Arsenic

Concerns about 3-Nitro have gotten the attention of the Food and Drug Administration.
From the Book Review
Emma Forrest

‘Your Voice in My Head: A Memoir’

A young writer overcomes her self-destructive behavior with the help of a gifted therapist.
From Opinion
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Ronald’s Exit Interview

Is it time to stop taking nutritional advice from a clown?
The Weekly Health Quiz
In the news: Deadly foods, bullies and a new cancer hope. Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.
More Columns
PERSONAL HEALTH

Law on End-of-Life Care Rankles Doctors

Doctors are pushing back against a new law in New York State that requires them to discuss palliative care with terminally ill patients.

The Claim: Cranberry Juice Can Cure Ulcers.

Cranberry juice has a long history as a home remedy for bladder infections. But may it also work against Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for most ulcers?
Multimedia
Patient Voices: Childhood Cancer
An unimaginable diagnosis is followed by worry, fear and tough decisions. Six people speak about how childhood cancer changed their lives.
Exploring the Roots of Sinus Trouble
Experts discuss biofilms and the underlying causes of chronic sinusitis.
Multimedia
Gym Class: Samurai Sword Workout
The Times's fitness guinea pig, Karen Barrow, tries a samurai sword workout.

Science review


Andy Keller, the inventor of the ChicoBag and the company's president, dons 500 bags to dress up as “Bagmonster.”

In a War of Words, Makers of Plastic Bags Go to Court

The plastic bag industry filed a lawsuit against ChicoBag, a company that produces reusable bags, for exaggerating claims about the pollution caused by single-use plastic.
Gregory B. Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, at a forum this week on the Fukushima disaster.

Report Blasts Management Style of Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman

A report says Gregory B. Jaczko ran roughshod over fellow commission members while carrying out the president’s directives to phase out planning for the Yucca Mountain site.

I.B.M. Researchers Create High-Speed Graphene Circuits

The advance, reported in the journal Science, may have applications that include future smartphone and telephone displays.
John Sinfelt

John H. Sinfelt, Who Helped Introduce Unleaded Gas, Dies at 80

Dr. Sinfelt devised a way to replace the lead and maintain octane levels when oil companies were pressured to remove lead from gasoline by the E.P.A.

The Periodic Table Expands Once Again

Elements 114 and 116 were made by scientists smashing atoms of other elements together.
Pat O'Connor spraying insulation in the attic of a home in Flourtown, Pa.

U.S. Is Falling Behind in the Business of ‘Green’

Strong incentives in European and Asian countries have given them the lead in clean energy technologies.
Science Times: June 7, 2011
The Caribbean box jellyfish, Tripedalia cystophora, has two complex eyes with a lens, cornea and retina, as well as one or more simple eyes that can distinguish light and dark.
Anders Garm and Jan Bielecki
The Caribbean box jellyfish, Tripedalia cystophora, has two complex eyes with a lens, cornea and retina, as well as one or more simple eyes that can distinguish light and dark.
Jellyfish have long been dismissed as so much mindless protoplasm with a mouth. Now, in a series of new studies, researchers have found that there is far more complexity and nuance to a jellyfish than meets the eye.

After 90 Years, a Dictionary of an Ancient World

Scholars at the University of Chicago have completed a project that includes 28,000 words from ancient Mesopotamia, covering a period from 2500 B.C. to A.D. 100.
FINDINGS

Could Liquid Nitrogen Help Build Tasty Burgers?

To produce the best burger, one needs advanced scientific cooking techniques, a former Microsoft executive says.
Elena Aprile

Women Atop Their Fields Dissect the Scientific Life

Four researchers taking part in the World Science Festival talked with The Times about their lives as scientists, the joys and struggles of research, and the specific challenges women in science face.
  •  Women in Science: Gina Kolata Interviews Elena Aprile, Joy Hirsch, Mary-Claire King and Tal Rabin
Health News

Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer

Government scientists listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen and said styrene may cause cancer, but the main threat is to workers in manufacturing.
Bean sprouts grow in a tube at Jonathan Sprouts in Rochester, Mass.

The Poster Plant of Health Food Can Pack Disease Risks

As a horrified Europe learned over the past month, sprouts are a high-risk food for carrying harmful bacteria like salmonella or the toxic forms of E. coli, according to experts.
NEWS ANALYSIS
A doctor treated a victim of the E. coli outbreak at a hospital in Germany on Monday. The source of the germ remains unknown.

Elusive Explanations for an E. Coli Outbreak

The German health authorities are struggling to identify the contaminated food behind the deadly E. coli outbreak.
STRATEGIES A study at New Roads School in Santa Monica, Calif., asked high school sophomores to match graphs and equations in an online drill.

Brain Calisthenics for Abstract Ideas

Traditional classroom learning is generally rules first, application later. However, researchers are finding that repeated exposure to patterns seems to deepen understanding.
WELL

Piercing the Fog Around Cellphones and Cancer

So what do we really know about cellphones and health? Here are some answers to common questions about the issue.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE Dr. Jonathan Samet is chairman of a World Health Organization committee that found cellphones to be

A Doctor Who Must Navigate a Contentious Divide

An international agency’s finding that cellphones are “possibly carcinogenic,” has put Dr. Jonathan Samet in the middle of a scientific debate.
More Multimedia

SLIDE SHOW: Discovering Science on Governors Island

Children identified plant species, built robots and gazed at the sun as part of a World Science Festival event on Governors Island.

INTERACTIVE FEATURE: What Makes Music Expressive?

What makes music expressive? Quiz yourself based on new research.

SLIDE SHOW: Readers’ Photos: A Family’s Best Friend?

Photos and stories of pets that were viewed differently by family members.

Rock-Paper-Scissors: You vs. the Computer

Test your strategy against the computer in this rock-paper-scissors game illustrating basic artificial intelligence.

En este día...


ON THIS DAY

On This Day: June 13

On June 13, 1966, the Supreme Court issued its landmark Miranda vs. Arizona decision, ruling that criminal suspects must be informed of their constitutional rights prior to questioning by police.
Go to article »
On June 13, 1865, William Butler Yeats, the Irish Nobel Prize-winning writer and poet was born. Following his death on Jan. 28, 1939, his obituary appeared in The Times.

On This Date

1900China's Boxer Rebellion against foreigners and Chinese Christians erupted.
1966The Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that criminal suspects must be informed of their constitutional rights prior to questioning by police.
1971The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam.
1981A teen-ager fired six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II during a parade in London.
1983The U.S. space probe Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to leave the solar system as it crossed the orbit of Neptune.
1994A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, blamed recklessness by Exxon Corp. and Capt. Joseph Hazelwood for the Exxon Valdez disaster, allowing victims of the nation's worst oil spill to seek $15 billion in damages.
1996An 81-day standoff ended as 16 members of the anti-government Freemen group surrendered to the FBI and left their Montana ranch.
1997A jury voted unanimously to give Timothy McVeigh the death penalty for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
2004Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 80th birthday with a 13,000-foot parachute jump over his presidential library in College Station, Texas.
2005Singer Michael Jackson was acquitted on charges of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor at his Neverland ranch.
2009Incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of a disputed Iranian presidential vote, touching off weeks of mass demonstrations.

Current Birthdays

Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations secretary-general
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon turn years old today.
AP Photo/Valentina Petrova
Kat Dennings, Actress
Actress Kat Dennings turn years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
1932Bob McGrath, Actor ("Sesame Street"), turns 79
1939Siegfried, Magician (Siegfried & Roy), turns 72
1943Malcolm McDowell, Actor, turns 68
1947Jerrold Nadler, U.S. representative, D-N.Y., turns 64
1951Stellan Skarsgard, Actor, turns 60
1951Richard Thomas, Actor ("The Waltons"), turns 60
1953Tim Allen, Actor, comedian ("Home Improvement"), turns 58
1962Ally Sheedy, Actress, turns 49
1962Hannah Storm, TV host, turns 49
1974Steve-O, Actor ("Jackass"), turns 37
1978Ethan Embry, Actor, turns 33
1986Ashley Olsen, Actress, turns 25
1986Mary-Kate Olsen, Actress, turns 25

Historic Birthdays

80Winfield Scott 6/13/1786 - 5/29/1866
American army general
82Jose Antonio Paez 6/13/1790 - 5/7/1873
Venezuelan soldier and politician
48James Clerk Maxwell 6/13/1831 - 11/5/1879
Scottish physicist
90Robert Wood 6/13/1879 - 11/6/1969
American business executive
94Etienne Gilson 6/13/1884 - 9/19/1978
French Canadian philosopher and historian
66Elizabeth Schumann 6/13/1885 - 4/23/1952
German-born American soprano
78Mark Van Doren 6/13/1894 - 12/10/1972
American poet, writer and teacher
84Tage Erlander 6/13/1901 - 6/21/1985
Swedish prime minister (1946-69)
87Red Grange 6/13/1903 - 1/28/1991
American football player
77Luis Alvarez 6/13/1911 - 9/1/1988
American experimental physicist